Stephen Malkmus - Traditional Technqiues

  by Maarten Schiethart

published: 25 / 6 / 2020

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Review

Matt Sweeney is the right man to drag Malkmus from the languishing back-to-essentials music of his last few albums. Not unplugged nor sounding likea bunch of demos, 'Traditional Techniques' goes back to basics in refined fine style. Whereas Will Oldham with the help of Matt Sweeney still remained as tedious as ever, Sweeney has lent a more than welcome helpful hand here and squeezed out some of Malkmus's best work. Sweeney learnt exquisite string picking from Indian raga and Sahara desert blues music which in superb manner melts with his steel guitar arrangements. It is superb to the extent that one starts to ponder about the many years Sweeney wasted with Oldham. Malkmus can barely surpress his thrills and shrieks, and appears totally rejuvenated. On 'Shadowbanned' Malkmus sounds close to a crooning singer; the absence of a thick bassline keeps a few songs on 'Traditional Techniques' from turning into a gospel funk LP. 'Brainwashed' flirts with Isley Brothers' styled slide guitar licks and adds to the feel of a blue soul music album. Buying LPs deemed not vital now, I cannot pick up the copy I already purchased, but please do use traditional techniques and buy from your local record store.

Track Listing:-

1 ACC Kirtan
2 Xian Man
3 The Greatest Own In Legal History
4 Cash Up
5 Shadowbanned
6 What Kind Of Person
7 Flowin' Robes
8 Brainwashed
9 Signal Western
10 Amberjack
11 Juliefuckingette

Band Links:-

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephen
http://stephenmalkmus.com/
https://twitter.com/malkmusandjicks
http://stephenmalkmusandthejicksblog.t

Label Links:-

http://www.dominorecordco.com/
https://www.facebook.com/DominoRecordC
https://twitter.com/DominoRecordCo
https://www.youtube.com/user/DominoRec
https://plus.google.com/+DominoRecords